Representing the LGBTQIA+ community is always important. Above that, it is important to represent all of the community, especially considering the current state of the world. It's wonderful to see the university flying the Progress Pride Flag during LGBTQIA+ History Month, however, as with many things, there is room for improvement.

[IMAGE ID: The Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag. One the left is the Intersex Pride Flag. One the left of the flag is the Intersex Pride Flag in a triangle, followed by a chevron of stripes in the following order: the white, pink, then blue of the Transgender Pride Flag, brown, and black. The chevron moves right and ends just short of the centre of the flag. Underneath the chevron is the Rainbow Pride Flag. /END ID]

Within recent times, the safety of trans women has been challenged, between rising open transphobia on social media & in public; and in recent legislation, such as the redefining of 'sex' in the Equaliy Act 2010 last year[1]. Less talked about is the impact these things have on intersex people. As someone who is visibly intersex, I have felt threatened by the fact that it is becoming increasingly 'okay' to be transphobic and assume someone is transgender based on their physical appearance– a kind of transphobia that heavily overlaps with intersexism. The fact that I have a beard, regardless of the rest of my anatomy, is enough for people to attempt to exclude me from women-only spaces because they believe I may be transgender. Just like all transgender people, just like all queer people in general, all intersex people should have the right to be allowed to exist within spaces that should be open to them.

In addition, many people do not know what intersexuality is. Many people are so uninformed about what intersex means that they often use slurs and harmful stereotypes to describe our bodies, not knowing they are being offenive due to the sheer lack of education and awareness. A lot of intersex people are faced with invasive questions about their genitals because people are so uneducated and believe they have the right to ask these kinds of questions, such as if we "have both". It is my belief that the university has the capabilities to take steps to educate its students and staff about intersexuality, not only doing its part to destigmatise, but also proving that the university is a safe place for its intersex students.

Here are some steps I believe the university should take to be more inclusive of and educational about intersexuality:

• Fly the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag instead of the current one that is being flown
• Celebrate Intersex Day of Remembrance as it does Transgender Day of Remembrance, such as by flying the Intersex Pride Flag and posting on socials about the day
• Use periods of time such as LGBTQIA+ History Month and Pride Month to provide education about intersexuality and intersex advocates throughout history, such as Jim Sinclair[2] and Pidgeon Pagonis[3]
• Provide resources for intersex youth and/or education on intersexuality through organisations such as InterACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, Organisation Intersex International Europe, Intersex UK, and Interconnected UK
• Encourage and uplift the voices of intersex students

[1] https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/our-work/uk-supreme-court-ruling-meaning-sex-equality-act-our-work
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Sinclair_(activist)
[3] http://pid.ge/